Gas-engine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. CHARTER..

GAS ENGINE.

No. 335,564. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

N4 PETERS. Phummnugnpmr, waning. D. c.

(No Modem 3 Sheets-Shet 2. J. CHARTER.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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.Attorney (No Model.) i 8 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. CHARTER.

GAS ENGINE'.

Patented Feb. 9. 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricno JOHN CHARTER, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,564, dated February9,1886.

Application filed November 5, 18H4.

,To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l. JOHN CHARTER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Sterling, in the county of W'hiteside, and State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of gasengines in which each forwardmovement of the working-piston is effected by the explosion of a chargeof mixed gas and air; and my improvements consist in constructing thecngine, as fully set forth hereinafter, so as to insure an instantaneousexplosion of the entire charge, facilitate the introduction ofthe chargein the working-cylinder, and the rapid and entire expulsion of the spentgases therefrom, and to reduce the volume of the charge in proportion asthe work is reduced, and to insure the ignition of each charge.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the gasengine,illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan. Fig. 3 isanother longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionof the valvecasing; Fig. 5, a cross-section of the valvecasing, Fig. 4;Fig. 6, a cross-section of the valve, Fig. 7, a sectional elevation ofthe charge-governing apparatus; Fig. 8, a plan of the air-casing valve.

The engine is provided with two cylindersthe working-cyli nder D, andthe charging-cylinder E--which cylinders, as shown, are parallel andadjacent to each other the cylinder E being below the cylinder D; butthey may be arranged in line with each other or in any other suitablemanner. The cylinder' D is surrounded by the usual water-jacket, is openat the forward end, and is provided with a detachable head, DE, at therear end, and with a packing-box, through which passes a rod, F,connected to a piston, A, and a second piston, B, within the cylinder,is connected by a rod, G, to the crank H of the driving shaft I, mountedin bearings upon the frame J and carrying the fly-wheel K.

Vithin the cylinder E is a piston, C, which is connected by a rod, L, toa stud, a, upon the head of the connecting-rod G, whereby the relativemovements hereinafter described Serial No. H7224. (No mndcl.)

are imparted to the two pistons B and C from the revolution of the samecrank H.

In bearings at the rear end of the frame is seated a rock-shaft, M,having a crank, N, connected by a rod, O, with the end of the piston-rodF, and a second crank, b, 011 the end of the shaft N, is jointed to theuppermost of two toggle-levers, c d, the latter swinging at the lowerend upon a stud, e, Fig. 3. A rod, f, is connected at one end to thejoint ot' the toggles and at the other to a crank-pin, g, upon theily-wheel K.

About the center of the cylinder D is an exhaust-port, x, whichcommunicates with a casing, Q, connected to the exhaust-pipe, andprovided with an exhaust-valve which is operated in any usual manner. Asshown, a cam, h, upon the shaft I, swings a lever, R, con'- nrcted by arod,j, to a bellcrank lever, R', one arm of which is in contact with thestem of the exhaust-valve, as best shown in Fig. 3.

In a casing, D', at one side ot' the cylinder D, slides theigniting-valve T, the casing coinmunicating` through a port, 2, with theeX- treme rear ezid of the cylinder D, and through a port, 3, with thecylinder at a point about midway between the port 2 and the port a', thesaid port 3 being prolonged at the inner end to form a channel, 4,extending forward, for a purpose described hereinafter.

Between the cylinders E and D is arranged a valve-casing, S, whichcommunicates with a port, 5, leading to the rear end of the cylinder D,and with a port, 6, leading to the rear end of the cylinder E, and aspring check` valve, m, within the casing S, serves to close a portbetween the ports 5 and 6, a set-screw, n, serving to regulate the playof the valve m.

Below the valve-casing S is an airchambcr, U, having at the bottomair-inlet openings w, covered by a check-valve, 7c, and communicatingthrough a port, p, with the casing S below the port 6, a check-valve, V,closing the port p and also closing an annular port, q, con1 municatingwith an annular chamber, q, around the port p.

Vith the chamber q communicates the gaspipe r, containing a valve, s,and closed at the end by a check-valve, s', opening into the chamber q',an arm, s, upon the spindle otl IOO end thereof.

the valve s, being connected by a rod, s3,with the arm of a crank-lever,XV, connected to be operatedby the governor W. The arm of the lever WValso bears against a rod, t, which ex.

tends through the port p, is provided with a wing, t', having aninclined edge, upon which bears a lug, u, at the bottom of the valve V.A spring, t, coiled around the rod z, bears against the shoulder of thelatter and tends to maintain it in contact with the arm of the lever WV.

The ignitingvalve T is operated from an eccentric upon the shaftlthrough the medium ofthe connecting-rod T. When the piston C is carriedforward in the direction of its arrow l, Fig. l, air will be drawn intothe chamber U, and through the portsp and 6 into the cylinder E, and gaswill also be drawn into the chamber q and-through the port q and port 6into the cylinder E, the valve Vbeing lifted by the indraft of thegases, but, under ordinary circumstances,taking its seat when themovement of the piston C is reversed. As the piston C moves inward inthe direction of its arrow 8, the piston A moves outward in thedirection of its arrow 9, so that the gas-charge is forcedfrom thecylinderE through the ports 6 and 5 into the rear end of the cylinder D,the check-valve m rising to permit the passage ofthe charge and takingits seat as soon as the movement of the gas ceases. The outward movementof the piston A takes place as the piston B moves inward, so that as thetwo pistons A and B approach each other the spent gases between them areforced through the port :c to the exhaust, which is opened as soon asthe piston B begins its rearward movement. Before the piston B reachesthe limit of its rearward stroke the piston A is carried to the rear,and the charge of gas between it and the head D of the cylinder iscarried through the ports 2 and 3 into the main cylinder and between thepistons A and B, the piston A thus acting as a transfer-piston to carrythe gases from the rear to the forward As the piston A approaches thetermination of its back-stroke, the piston B is also traveling backward,so that the charge between the two pistons will be compressed by thebackward movement of the piston B until the latter is at the limit ofits movement, when the explosion of the charge will drive the piston Bforward, the piston C 'also moving forward and drawing another charge ofmixed air and gas into the cylinder E. After the piston B reaches thelimit of its forward motion and the exhaust is opened, the piston A alsomoves forward, approaching the piston B, which also begins to movebackward, expelling the spent gases, while the piston C, also movingbackward, carries the gases through the casing S to the space at therear of the piston A. It willibe seen that'the piston A moves forwardand backward while the piston B is moving from the forward end of thecylinder to its rear This alternate active and quiescent condition ofthe piston A is readily effected through the medium of the toggle-jointand from the continued revolution of the crank-pin g without any tappetmovements or lost motions in any part of the mechanism. The parts are sotimed thatthe piston C reaches the end of its stroke before the ignitingslide or valve T closes the inlet-port 3, so that the entire charge isin the cylinder D, and can be transferred to the position in front ofthe piston A, before the said port is closed. This affords time for thepiston A to move backward and transfer the charge to its forward end,and also time for the valve T to close the port 3 and travel farenoughto bring the ignition-port c tocoincide with the port 3 after the pistonA has reached the end of its stroke. The extension 4 of the port 3 is soarranged, the exhaustvalve is so operated, and the'movements of thepistons A and B are so timed that as soon as the exhaust is closed thepiston A-will be ginto uncover the extension et of the port 3, therebyinsuring an immediate transfer of the charge from the rear to the frontof the piston A without loss of power in compressing the charge. If theair and gas were but imperfectly mixed, or were arranged in layers, soas to insure a slow combustion, any portion of the'charge remainingbetween the pistons A and B would be apt to hold the flame or continueburning after the explosion and to ignite the new charge as it begins toenter the cylinder between the pistons. I effectually prevent this bycombining the gas and the air as they are drawn into the cylinder E, andby forcing them first from the cylinder E into the them from the latterposition to the space between the pistons A and B, whereby they are sothoroughly mixed that the entire charge explodes at once and nounignited gas remains after the explosion.

It will be not-iced that the parts are so ar- 'ranged as to leave aspace or chamber, l, at

the rear of the slide T, when the latter is forlIO ward,and to close thecommunication between the said chamber and the rear end of the cylinderD when the slide T has closed the port 3, so that the charge in thechamber lis compressed between the end of the slide and the end of thechamber until the igniting-port o is opposite the port 3. This insuressuch a pressure that the gas from the chamberl will iiow withconsiderable force through a channel, `10, in the cylinder D', andpassage l2 in the slide T, as soon as the 'igniting-port o is broughtopposite the port 3.

The arrangements of the passage, channel, and port are shown in Figs.4f, 5, and 6, and it will 'be seen that the channel 10 is of such lengththat the charge can pass from the chamber Z into the port 'u until justbefore the latter is brought to coincide with the port 3, so there is afree communication between the chamber Z and the port c as thegas-charge is compressed, and the port v receives aportion of the gasunder pressure,` preserving the iame, but that all communication withthe chamber Z is cut off as the port r is brought to coincide with theport 3.

In order to regulate the passage of gas from the chamber Z to the portfr, I provide the slide T with a recess in which fits a plug, T2, havinga terminal chamber, o?, and a hole, c, which may be brought to coincideto a greater or less extent with the passage 12 by turning the plug T2,a set-screw, 13, securing the plug in any position to which it may beadjusted. The forward end of the chamber 'v2 is closed by a perforatedplate, n', which permits the iiow of the gas forward and divides it intosmall streams.

Io insure an explosion in case of the stoppage of the channel 10,Imakeasupplemental channel, 15, at rightangles to the channel l0, andaffording communication between the port 3 and the passage 12, whenthelatter is brought to coincide with the said channel 15, as will beunderstood from examination of Figs. 4 and The governor is so set thatwhen the engine is operating at its usual speed the rod t will be in aposition to carry the wing t to one side ofthe lug was shown in Fig.7,(dotted lines,) so that the valve V will positively close the ports p(l whenever the piston C begins its backward motion, and all the chargedrawn into the cylinderEwill be forced back through the casing Sinto'the cylinder D. 'Vhen, however, thc movement of theengine becomestoo rapid, the governor sets the lever XV so as to force inward the rodt and bring the wing if against the lug u, thereby lifting the valveY toa slight extent, or rather preventing it from becoming perfectly seated.In such case the backward movement of the piston C, instead of forcingall the charge into the cylinder I), forces part of it into the casingU, only the remainder being carried into the cylinder D, so that thenext explosion is that of only a partial charge, and with less effectthan that of a whole charge, whereby the speed of the engine is reduced.I am thu's enabled by a proper adjustment of the governor to run theengine freely with less charges than when work Ais being performed; butunder all eircumstanccs I use the best operative mixture of air and gas.As the spindle of the gas valve s is connected with the lever XV, the infow of gas may be cut off at the same time that the valve V is limitedin its downward movement,and the check-valve s prevents any of themixture being forced back into the gaspipe when the valve Vis preventedfrom taking its seat. It will of course be apparent that different meansmay be employed for securing a uniform supply as to proportions of theair and gas,while at the same time reducing the amount which is throwninto the operating-cylinder in proportion as the speed of the engineincreases. The means which I have shown have proved to be effective inoperation, but different means of carrying out this feature of myinvention will occur to those skilled in the art.

By connecting both the pistons C and B, so as to be operated by the samecrank with the connecting-point of the piston-rod L more advanccd thanthat of the rod G, I am enabled to reciprocate both pistonssimultaneously, while at the same time carrying the piston C in advanceof the piston B, so as to expel the entire charge from the cylinder Ebefore the piston B has completed its inward movement, therebycompressing the charge by the piston B after the piston C has ceased toact upon it, these movements being all effected in proper time withoutany lost motion or appliances other than the single crank and the twoconnecting-rods.

\Vhile I have shown the igniting device as consisting of a reciprocatingfiamecarrying slide, it will be apparent that the other fea tures of myinvention may be employed in connection with igniters of various kinds.

Instead of connecting the toggle-levers directly with the iiy-wheel K,they may be operated through the medium of eccentrics or otherappliances with like effect; but the arrangement which I have shown isextremelyr simple and most effective. By having the extension 4 of theport 3, I am enabled to open the port 3 for the transfer of the chargeas soon as the piston A begins to move back, thus avoiding anycompression of the charge by the piston A, and at tbesame time a shortmovement of the valve T closes the port 3 at the proper time.

I cla-im- I. The combination of a working-cylinder provided with atransfer and a power piston, and crankconnections, substantially asdescribed, whereby the charge is transferred from one side of thetransfer-piston and comA pressed between the two pistons.

2. rlhe combination of a workiiig-cylinder provided with a transfer anda power piston, and crank connections, substantially as de scribed,whereby the former piston makes complete cycle while the latter ismaking one outstroke.

3. rIhe combination of a working-cylinder provided with a transfer and apower piston, a chargingcylinder and piston, and connections,substantially as described, whereby the charging-piston and thepower-piston move in the same direction and the transfer-piston and thepower-piston move in opposite directions.

4. The combination of the working-cylinder and working-piston andtransfer-piston, and the chargecylinder and its piston, all arranged andcombined with piston-operating devices to move the chargepiston to itsbackward po- IQO sition before the working-piston reaches the limit ofits backward stroke, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the cylinder D and its transfer and workingpistons, of a charging-cylinder, E, and piston connected to reciprocatewith the working-piston and to reach the limit of its backward motionbefore the back movement of the working-piston is concluded,substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the working-cylinderand working-piston, of atransfer-piston and a cylinder and piston, arranged and connected tocarry a fresh charge to the rear of the transfer-piston before theworking-piston completes its backward movement, and to then move backthe transfer-piston, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the cylinder D and working-piston, of thetransfer-piston A, connected with a rock-shaft and toggle-levers, androdf, connecting said levers with a crank- Vpin on the ily-wheel,substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the cylinder D, having ports 2 3, and anextension, 4.-, of the port 3, and the pistons A B, casing D, andslidevalve T, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the working-cylinder, of a charging cylinderand piston, inlets for admitting the air and gas to saidcharging-cylinder, a check-valve closing the passage through which thecharge passes, and a governor connected to prevent the Valve fromseating when the speed is excessive, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the working-cylinder, charging-cylinder, andgas and air inlets, valve closing said inlets, and governor regulatingthe position of said valve, of a casing U, through which the air passesto one of said inlets, and provided with openings and a valve, k,substantially as described.

1l. The combination, with the valve V and governor and connections, ofacasing, U, having air-inlets closed by a valve, substantially asdescribed.

12. The combination of a charging-cylinder and its piston, apower-cylinder, and a Valve between the cylinders controlled byagovernor and operating to vary the charge as the speed ofthe enginevaries, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a charging-cylinder and its piston, apower-cylinder, and a valve controlled by a governor and operating todivert a portion of the charge in increased quantities as the speed ofthe engine increases, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a charging-cylinder and piston provided with gasand air inlets, a power-cylinder, a passage connecting the saidcylinders, and a valve between the cylinders communicating with saidpassage and controlled by a governor, all arranged and operating toautomatically decrease the charge supplied to the power-cylinder 'inproportion as the speed of the engine increases, substantially asdescribed.

15. The combination of the charging-cylinder E, casing S, containing avalve, V, for closing the air and gas inlet ports, air-casing U,communicating with the air-port of the casing S, and a governor andconnections whereby the downward movement of the valve V is limited asthe speed of the engine increases, substantially as described.

16. The combination, with the valve controlling the charge-inlet, of agovernor and connections whereby the closing` movement of the valve islimited as the speed of the engine increases, substantially asdescribed.

17. The combination, with the cylinder and ports 2 and 3, ofavalve-casing, D', slide-valve T, having a llame-port, o, and passage12, and the casing D', having an internal channel, arranged as setforth.

18. The combination of the casing D', having a channel, 10, valve T,havinga flame-port, o, and passage 12, and a casing, D, having a port,3, and channel 15, substantially as described.

19. The combination, with the slide-valve T and passage 12 and port o,of a plug, T2, having a terminal chamber, and passage o3, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN CHARTER.

Witnesses:

WM. S. SAYnRs, A. E. T. HANSMANN.

